Extended Essays 2021

Plato’s political commentary led me to postulate, why would Donald Trump, a democratically

elected president, act in a way that undermined democracy itself? Concomitantly, is the most

popular democratic leader the most likely potential tyrant? Thus, my inquiry evaluates the

theoretical aspects of political behaviour in democracies that account for the emergence of a

demagogue. 9 In seeking answers, I first analysed the democratic form of government, its

rationale and its flaws. Here there are two philosophers with contrasting theories on

democracy, namely Plato and J.S. Mill. Second, after theoretical analysis, I used Trump ’s

Capitol insurrection as a case study for a dialectical comparison of the contrasting theories. For

evaluative criteria, I drew on empirical evidence for testing the theories of Plato and Mill.

The Theories – Plato v Mill

Throughout a number of dialogues, Plato stitches together an ‘ anti-despotic argument ’ that

concludes that democracy is an undesirable form of government. Plato claims that democracy

inevitably begets demagoguery and then tyranny, and therefore is a form of government to be

avoided. Plato was highly critical of democracy as, “freedoms multiply” and “soon every kind

of inequality is despised. ” 10 Furthermore, Plato claims the leader will “eventually stands alone,

offering the addled, distracted, self- indulgent citizens a kind of relief from democracy’s endless

choices and insecurities” and “as the people thrill to him as a kind of solution, a democracy

willingly, impetuously, repeals itself – to a tyrant”. 11 The inference from Plato’s conclusions

are profound in that democracies axiomatically gives rise to demagoguery, then tyranny. But

9 Demagogue meaning: Political leader that appeals to the population through constructing false claims in the aim of gaining power.

10 Plato. Plato's The Republic Book VIII. New York :Books, Inc., 1943. 11 Plato. Plato's The Republic Book VIII. New York :Books, Inc., 1943.

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